MECOSTA COUNTY — After several months of listening, planning, and examining best practices, The Right Place, Inc. announces it will debut a new and improved model of regional economic development partnerships in 2022 for participating counties across West Michigan (Ionia, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana). The new format is expected to amplify economic development efforts across the region by empowering full-time county executive directors to drive long-term growth opportunities with the support of The Right Place.
This new partnership model has attracted two new counties, Mason and Mecosta, to The Right Place, creating a regionwide coverage area of eight total counties. The Right Place serves Kent County, and now has partner agreements with Ionia, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, and Oceana.
“Mecosta County Development has been investing in this type of work for years, but we’re very excited with this new partnership direction with The Right Place,” said Michele Graham, chair of the Mecosta County Development Board of Directors and supervisor/assessor for Mecosta Township. “The alignment with The Right Place’s regional economic development strategy should bring great dividends to our community. We’ve already seen how this partnership will amplify our local efforts.”
In developing this new model, The Right Place held in-depth discussions with county leaders to identify improvements. National consulting firm EY was also engaged to assess the partnerships, evaluate other successful regional models, and provide recommendations. The result is a new model that brings the expertise of an Executive Director to each county, which will increase the economic development capacity and outcomes for the communities. Notably, several counties will be elevating their positions from part-time to full-time, allowing for deeper engagement with the local business community.
“We’re pleased to offer a more sustainable and robust new model to our partners that will boost economic outcomes in each county and the region as a whole,” said Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place. “Regionalism is a cornerstone of our people, place, and prosperity strategy, and I’m confident our innovative new approach will increase the entire region’s competitive advantage.”
Nearby Lake County has been partnering with The Right Place since 2018.
“Lake County has definitely benefited from the close relationship with The Right Place for the last three years, with multiple development initiatives coming to fruition,” sakd Tobi Lake, Lake County administrator and member of the Lake County Economic Development Alliance Board of Directors. “Moving forward, we’ll only see more results from the partnership under this new model. This kind of alignment between regional expertise and local insight is crucial for economic progress in our community.”
The Right Place, Inc., is a regional nonprofit founded in 1985 and supported through investments from the private and public sector. The Right Place drives current and long-term economic prosperity in West Michigan through the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies to retain, expand and attract businesses. This includes connecting area businesses to national and international resources, identifying emerging growth opportunities, strengthening the competitiveness of area firms, and marketing the region globally.
Find out more by visiting www.rightplace.org, liking on facebook.com, and following on twitter @TheRightPlaceGR.
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November 22, 2021 at 10:19PM
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Mecosta County signs first time agreement with The Right Place - The Pioneer
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